This blog is made to share news on Alzheimer’s Disease in India. To raise awareness among the population in and from India, inform people of the resources they may have in their country and about actions taken by organizations. Also, it aims to support families and caregivers there to cope with this disease; help researchers worldwide and advocates in collecting datas and infos, develop views on the local Public Health Policy toward the affected elderly population in India.

Alzheimer's Disease in India Consultancy Service

If you have a project, contact us for advice at hendi.lingiah@gmail.com

Join our Family Caregivers, Volunteers and Care Professionals on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Access NGOs, infos, news updates, support and discussions....at the following links :

Sunday, June 14, 2009

It is our sincere pleasure and privilege to invite you to the 15th National Conference of Alzheimer’s & Related Disorders Society of India in Kolkata. "Dementia Solidarity” is the Theme of the Conference – ARDSICON 09.

The Kolkata Chapter of India’s Dementia platform ARDSI is getting ready to host you and be witness to the uncovering of a remarkable social Solidarity for the urgent mission: “Remember Those Who Cannot Remember.”

ARDSI’s annual conference is the only one in India that brings together scientists, clinicians, care professionals, family carers, volunteers and people with Dementia as well as various other stakeholders. This multidisciplinary event will provide a unique opportunity to examine achievements and priorities in Dementia care.

ADI is raising awareness about the global impact of Dementia and calls for recognition of Dementia as a global health priority. We live in a world where there is one new case of Dementia every seven seconds. The globe is facing an epidemic as the number of people with Dementia is projected to spurt from 30 million to 100 million by 2050.

With this conference we have an opportunity to engage all communities around the world and truly make Dementia a global health and social priority.

Caring for people with Dementia and their families is a joint responsibility of all those who can still reason and remember. We hope this event inspires you to make a difference to the lives of those affected by Dementia.

Once referred to as “The Jewel in the Crown of the British Raj”, Kolkata is a city that throbs with vibrant life forces. It is an epitome of culture and creativity that nurtures and rejuvenates your thinking prowess.

No other city in India enjoys such visible contrast, as does the City of Joy of Lapierre. The quaint little fishing village has grown up to become the most populated city of India bearing the scars of more than three hundred years. It is truly an enigma that defies any description.

It’s THE place to make friends with, to be romantic, to taste rosogolla, to sing a song, to write a poem, to debate, to ride a bus, to walk in the rain, to shop, to play cricket, to watch football, to get refused by a taxi, to live in the warmth of your family, to have a golden heart and to be happy!

Love it or hate it, you can never ignore its enticing allure.

We look forward to welcoming you to Kolkata for yet another interesting and stimulating conference in December 2009.

The Centre for Lifelong Learning at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai announces a one-year part-time DIPLOMA IN GERONTOLOGY (A Course to Work with Older Adults) that will be conducted from Monday to Friday from 5.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. at TISS. The Course Duration is from June 2008 to April, 2009.

Goals of the Diploma Programme in Gerontology:

To prepare learners for interdisciplinary practice with older adults and their families while providing professional leadership in the field of Gerontology.

To generate a trained cadre of functionaries for effective intervention based on a Human Rights perspective for enhancing the 'Quality of Life' of Older Adults

I also request you to kindly spread word about the Programmes amongst your associates in order to enable those interested enlist for the same. The Prospectus and application forms for the Programme can be obtained from the TISS website (www.tiss.edu)

Senior citizens constitute 7.5 per cent of the total population of India and 13 per cent of the total number of voters

PUNE: Who says that senior citizens are not enthusiastic about elections and voting? The elderly, who are neglected on political agenda too, has their own demands. A non-profit organisation Silver Innings Foundation has appealed to senior citizens to come together and demand their rights.

The organisation has given a wake-up call for elderly people to help themselves by shedding the lethargic attitude towards general elections and voting for a candidate caring for them. Senior citizens are often ignored by mainstream society.

Silver Innings Foundation has come up with a manifesto of senior citizens, which underlines the urgency of formation of a Ministry for the Elderly: “There is a ministry for women, children, environment, but no ministry for senior citizens, who represent 7.5 per cent of the population. Currently, the elderly are just part of the overloaded Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.”

more at : http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2009/03/30153350/Now-a-manifesto-for-senior-ci.html

This service we thought was an need of hour ,as there are few care centres for Dementia and Aging in place the UN motto.

Under this service we will:

Supervise and monitor Mental Health of the personWe will visit once a weekWe will help the family as resource person for other medical problemsWe will plan activity for the personWe will take help of Medical professionals where ever requiredInitial Diet advice,for long term service it chargeableProfessional care taker will be provided if need be, on paid basisTraining for present care taker and familyBasic Counselling

The charges are as follow:

Rs.500/- for a week,i.e. one visit a week.Also it means Rs.2000/- p.m.If there is a need we will give discount ,if the family is poor and cant pay.But not less then Rs.200/- But this has to be discuss and it will be case by case.

We need to make proper Terms and Condition document.Amruta and Hendi can help to do this.Also need to make a brochure/info booklet - bhavesh can design this.

According to me this can be very good service for the Dementia and if we are focus and work toward it we can make a impact.

On the occasion of 4th Global World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 15th June, Silver Inning Foundation, A Dedicated organization for senior citizens and their family members will be commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Week from 13th June to 19th June 2009.

It has taken the initiative to host various events to create awareness and sensitize the Government and the Civil Society to eliminate elder abuse at both micro and macro level. We are also trying to network with organizations working with elderly in Mumbai and all over India .

World over 15th June is marked as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by INPEA.INPEA is an organization, founded in 1997, which is dedicated to the global dissemination of information as part of its commitment to the world-wide prevention of the abuse of older people.

The United Nations International Plan of Action adopted by all countries in Madrid , April 2002, clearly recognizes the importance of addressing and preventing abuse and neglect of older adults and puts it in the framework of the Universal Human Rights. INPEA is dedicated to supporting the plan of action.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Week programme aims to increase society's ability, through various programmes, to recognise and respond to the mistreatment of older people in whatever setting it occurs, so that the latter years of life will be free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Objective:

· To create awareness in elderly people themselves regarding what comes under elder abuse.

· To sensitize young people regarding elder abuse and to bridge the intergenerational gap between elderly and young people.

· To create awareness in media and society at large regarding elder abuse.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Week 2009 Tentative Programme:

1. Elder Abuse Awareness Week from 13th June to 19th June 2009

2. Host Essay Competition - "Elder Abuse: Role of Civil Society and Government " from 15th May 2009 to 31st May. To Publish Three Best Essay on Elder Abuse on Website and Blogs.To announce winner by 15th June 2009

3. 13th June 2009 Intergeneration Programme of Poster Making ,Slogan Writing and Presentation at Apne Aap ,Khetwadi, Mumbai (NGO working for Children’s of marginalized mothers)

Department of Psychiatry at Nair Hospital offers services to Elderly as part of OPD and Inpatient Facility.

Special Emphasis is on detection & treatment of Psychology disorder in Elderly including Dementia, which forms part of its therapeutic outreach programme.

In recent years importance is being given to research on MCI –Mild Cognitive Impairment – patients have a high risk of converting to Alzheimer's disease.

About Silver Inning Foundation:

Silver Inning Foundation is registered NGO dedicated for Senior Citizens and Its family. It is part of Silver Innings.Com www.silverinnings.com a comprehensive and dedicated Website for Elderly.

Dementia is one of the focus areas for Silver Innings. Providing need base service, networking and advocacy for Senior Citizens forms important aspect of Silver Innings. It promotes the concept of Successful Ageing among various forums.

o Through telephone, friends and relatives should be encouraged to be in touch; reverse help line approach where the NGOs can contact them periodically should be promoted

§ What ARDSI should do

o Each local chapter should engage with the local govt for advocacy and fundraising.

o The Delhi chapter should do advocacy with govt on policy planning through the planning commission, other departments etc. There has to be a dynamic national presence in the national capital to help ARDSI get access to both governmental and private support.

§ A few other issues for focus

o Legal issues - Doctors look after the patient and support groups focus on the care aspect. No one focus on other legal issues relating to property. ARDSI should liase with advocate and promote information on these aspects as in Alzheimer's Disease the patient’s decision making ability is impaired

o Advocacy with NSSO (Delhi) TISS and IIPS for including Alzheimer's Disease in their research to estimate incidence of Alzheimer's Disease

o Study of WHO report of 2001 to outline minimum action required for dementia care given the uniqueness of Indian context compared to the west.

o Dementia strategy paper should be distributed to all stakeholders and their comments invited

o The urban rural divide should also be accounted for in the strategy and one should be realistic about what rural health workers can do in 6 hrs of full-time work as they are already overburdened.

§ Diagnosis and care services

o Offer high quality care and support through memory clinics, day-care centers, and respite care centers.

o Set quality standards for care. Simple guidelines to be used for ensuring minimum quality standards in these clinics and in public health systems

o Focus on priorities for care-givers - access to continuity of support, access to good-quality information about dementia and local help available, access to good-quality care at home, in hospital or in a care home – provided by people with an understanding of dementia, access to peer support.

o Through support groups empower carers to make choices in caring for their family member suffering from Alzheimer's Disease

o Support and inspire carers to improve the quality of care rather than just have the basic needs of the patient, attended to§ Training of personnel in dementia”.

o Stress on the benefits of training – the task of caring for a dementia patient is extremely difficult as it involves handling of wandering patients, aggression, incontinence and eventually round-the-clock care. Training is needed to enable caregivers to provide appropriate, competent and sensitive care and support and at the same time, prevent burnout.

o Other aspects of training - levels of training need to be appropriate for the corresponding group of people. Critical focus areas in training include understanding the disease, skills to manage challenging behaviour and strategies for helping families and caregivers cope with the emotional challenges of caring for a resident with Alzheimer's disease.

The below are some of the points discussed in the meeting that needs to be a part of the National Dementia Strategy. The points have been categorized under various headings, with each topic in a different page.

1. Improve awareness/ AdvocacyObjectives:Improved public and professional Awareness of dementia among GPs, healthcare skilled/semi-skilled professionals (nursing, physiotherapists, SLPs), healthcare policy makers and media resulting in better understanding of the disease and its care.

Mobilize support from government, foundations, public and private sector organizations, and philanthropists

Generate interest in students and younger faculty members to contribute time and services, as a society that does not provide necessary social services to its members is doomed to fail.

Comments/suggestions

§ Type of messages

o Simple messages on Alzheimer's Disease

o The awareness should focus on different components such as diagnosis, treatment etc

§ Where the messages should be given

o Make use of as many media as possible

o Public - National Social Service (NSS) of Universities, all service organizations, senior citizen forums, police, bar associations, schools and colleges, local self governments, NRHM, social work colleges, management institutes

o The goal of awareness should be very clear from the outset and there should be a distinction between what is a public health approach and what accounts for individual strategy (care giving is a individual strategy while generic awareness of the disease is a public health strategy).

o Clarification of the 3 words that are used inter-changeably - aging, dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

o Lack of permanent cure (warn people against high expectations from various drugs and others substances such as ginkgo biloba) and importance of care for the patient and support for the caregiver

o Right information on ethical dilemmas such as tube feeding and palliative care in the terminal stage

o Right information on the experiments conducted on curcumin

o The demographic impact of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias in developing countries such as India

o Clear signs of Alzheimer's Disease such as forgetting names, loss of interest in hobbies, unable to manage money, unable to do simple housekeeping tasks or cooking should be highlighted in the awareness campaigns so that people can identify Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly

Dementia is a general term to denote a progressive degenerative disease of the brain resulting in loss of Memory, intellectual decline, behavioural and personality changes. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of Dementia. Mostly older people are affected by this condition.

It is estimated that there are more than 28 million people affected by this mind crippling tragedy globally. This number is expected to double by 2025. More than 70% of people with dementia live in developing counties like China and India. Although we don’t have the actual members, it is estimated that there are over 3 million people in India who are victims of dementia.

Compared to any other chronic illness, more than the patients, often, it is the family members who bear the brunt of this devastating illness. It is often termed as a cruel disease, because it strips the person of all the skills and intellectual achievement the person has acquired during his life time and leaves the shadow of the person he used to be. The family members often have to watch the deterioration of their loved ones helplessly. Despite the magnitude, there is gross ignorance, and is often neglected in our country.

Many countries in the world have recognized Dementia as a health priority eg. Australia, South Korea. Similarly countries like UK, France have developed National Dementia Strategies. This has resulted in greater recognition, improved awareness and more fund allocation by their governments.

Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) is the first Afro Asian National Alzheimer’s Association to get full membership in Alzheimer’s Disease International the world federation of 74 national Alzheimer’s Associations way back in 1993. ARDSI continues to be in the forefront in raising awareness and providing much needed services to those affected. Taking cues from the countries with better dementia awareness and care, ARDSI has taken the bold initiative to develop a National Dementia Strategy for India. The number of people with dementia in India is expected to double by 2025. There is gross ignorance. Most people with dementia go undetected. There are hardly any service available. Research in this area is scanty.

The aim of the National consultative meetings are to explore, discuss and share views on how to develop a National Dementia Strategy for India. This will be a road map for the country for the next five years in Dementia care. The first meeting was held in Jamia Millia, New Delhi on 30th-31st Jan 2009. The meeting in Mumbai is to get the views of the experts from the Western region. Similar meetings shall be held in other parts of the country, drawing experts from medical, nursing, social work, legal, media and governmental agencies. A final meeting shall be held in New Delhi by the end of 2009 to draw a national plan.

Raising awareness, promote early diagnosis and provide effective management shall be the key areas, the Strategy shall be based up on. Final document shall be used to influence the government of India and state governments to include dementia in all the key Ministries of health, social welfare, science and technology’s, programmes. We hope to work towards making dementia a health priority in the country in the coming years.

A National Dementia Strategy Consultative Meeting of Experts ‘Western India’ was held at the YMCA International, Mumbai Central on 25th & 26th April 2009.

The Theme of this meeting was : “INTEGRATED DEMENTIA CARE “ .This meeting of experts was Organised by Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) National Office and Mumbai Chapter in association with Department of Psychiatry, Nair Hospital, Mumbai And Silver Inning Foundation.

The Silver Innings Dementia Support Group offers counselling, training of family members, training of professional care givers, monthly meetings, awareness campaigns, lectures, and reference service. The team members include psychiatrist, family member, clinical psychologist, nursing trainer and social worker